Options Wonderland

[Market Technician]

Option Max-Pain

In the option market, wealth transfer between option buyers and sellers is a zero-sum game. On option expiration days, the underlying stock price often moves toward a point that brings maximum loss to option buyers. This specific price, calculated based on all outstanding options in the market, is called Option Pain. Option Pain is a proxy for the stock price manipulation target by the option selling group.

Does Option Pain Theory Really Work?

It has been observed over and over again that, near option expiration, option buyers suffer significant losses. According to a New York Times article, it is likely that option sellers, including firm proprietary traders, "manipulate stock prices by selling large numbers of shares whose prices they wanted to keep from rising and by buying other shares whose prices they wanted to support."

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